History Unrepeated
by Niixx
Summary: MiniStory. What if it had been Kagome that InuYasha had met first? Would they have made the same mistakes or would our hanyou have had his own happily-ever-after a lot sooner? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

I do not own InuYasha nor am I making any money off the use of Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

**Summary:** What if it had been Kagom_e_ in Kikyo's place? If InuYasha met Kagome instead of the other priestess all those years before the story began? Would they make the same mistakes, or would our beloved hanyou have gotten his happily-ever-after?

**A/N:** I do not speak Japanese, so I'm sorry if I mess up any of the terms. If you know I used a word wrong, would you please let me know? Thank you.

x…x…x

**History Unrepeated**

Part 1

x…x…x

_She was born to protect the jewel until its destruction. She had rules to abide by._

_She was not fall in love with a man. She wasn't to give in to the physical impulses that humans have. But most importantly, she was to never give the jewel to a youkai._

_But what of a hanyou? _

x…x…x

Kagome stood tensely in the clearing, suddenly sensing the youkai closing in on her. She could hear the leaves crunches under its feet, grabbing her bow and firing three arrows in rapid succession at the opening between trees. Her target leapt above the trees just in time, a blur of red and white in the sky as it flew towards her. She readied another arrow, aiming for the demon with confidence.

Firing, she heard the rip of fabric under the arrowhead's point, but couldn't see the youkai being purified.

Before she had time to fire again, it met the ground a few yards ahead of her, landing easily before rising to its full height, which was well over her own. He wore no sandals, his feet dirty but unscathed. The youkai wore a red hakama and matching haori. Realizing that it was in fact a male, she was almost mesmerized by the silver-white hair that flowed in the air, much longer than her own. His hands held claws that glinted in the sunlight lethally. When she looked into his face, she saw something flick on his head out of the corner of her eye and discovered that he wasn't a youkai; he was a hanyou.

"You'd think a priestess would have better aim," he snarled mockingly, one corner of his lips rising to bare his fang. "Especially the one guarding the Shikon no Tama."

Setting another arrow in the bow, she replied coolly, ignoring the flare of her temper at his rude comment, "Perhaps I was just trying to get you to come closer so I'd have a better shot." She paused, studying him. "I assume you're here for the jewel." She pulled back the bowstring as if to shoot him. "You can't have it."

He tensed, but didn't back down. Instead, he arrogantly snorted, smirking deviously. "Who's going to keep it from me? You don't think _you_ could, do you?" He opened his mouth to say more when the arrow soared through the air just above his shoulder, it's purifying aura ripping through his haori in another place. When his shocked golden gaze turned back to her, she had another arrow ready, aiming for his heart this time.

"I believe I can. I am a priestess; I've been trained in such things." She couldn't believe it. Why hadn't she just purified him and gotten it over with? He was insulting her spiritual powers; no demon before him had gotten away with it. So why this hanyou? She brought the bowstring to a taut arc, allowing him to see her intent. "Leave before I have to kill you," she warned, but something inside her told her that she wouldn't be able to kill him. But why should she care? He planned to use the jewel for his own gain, to taint it. She needed to destroy the jewel; the more tainted it became, the harder that would become.

He growled, taking a step back. "I'll get that jewel, I promise you." Then he leapt into the air, seeming to fly into the forest over her head. When he disappeared, she released a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding, loosening her hold on the arrow, lowering her bow.

How had a hanyou—she didn't even know his name!—get under her skin?

Shaking her head, she made her way back towards her village, trying to force her thoughts away from the red-clad man and to stay alert. It was hard; she was confused over the occurrences of their meeting. She'd never missed a target before—not even a moving one—nor had she ever deliberately done so.

"Lady Kagome," the villagers greeted, bowing slightly. Though she was only sixteen years old, they treated her with a respect that annoyed her. All her life she'd been told that she would be a powerful priestess, rivaling Midoriko herself in spiritual power.

But she didn't _want_ that. She wanted to be a girl. _Just_ a girl.

Everyone treated her as if she were something to be watched, never touched. And she _hated _it. Why could no one—except her brother and mother—see that she was the same as them? Everyone had destinies; hers was to protect the Shikon no Tama until it could be destroyed. How did that make her untouchable?

"Kagome!" her mother shouted, racing to hug her. Releasing her quickly, she smiled down at her daughter, a twinkle in her eye. "Souta saw the light of your arrows; you should probably go tell him the story of the youkai." She gave Kagome a light kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to go check on Sakura; her baby is due any day. Could you make dinner for Souta?"

Kagome nodded, grinning happily. Her mother treated her the same as all the other young girls in the village were treated by their mothers; she had chores to do, her family to take care of. Her mother had told her that she may have a duty to protect the jewel, but she had to help out with their home, as well.

"Sister!" Souta yelled, running to her. "What kind of demon was it this time, Sister? Was it another bug demon? Or maybe one of the panther youkai I've heard are nearing the region!" His eyes widened at the thought of such dangerous creatures in their vicinity. "I bet you could purify all of them in a second."

Kagome smiled, ruffling his hair. He saw her as indestructible, as if nothing could ever stop her from doing her job to the jewel.

As she began her recount of the day—sure to make it more dramatic for the twelve year old boy—she didn't realize how much it would need to be true.

x…x…x

_Why didn't she just purify me? Why did she hesitate and warn me off?_

If the stories were true about the Shikon no Tama Priestess, she could hit a running youkai with ease, from across a forest. So how could she have missed him not once, but twice? Of course, he believed that the third—the one that had been aimed over his shoulder—was a warning of just how easily she could kill him.

InuYasha tapped his claws furiously against the branch he perched on, creating large slashes with the furious drumming of his fingers. He didn't notice them, just continued wondering about the woman he would meet again. And he _would_ meet her again. He'd make sure of it.

The thought of meeting with her again gave him the feeling of anticipation, something he quickly tried to force down. Why would he be so willing to go to a woman who could so easily kill him? He must have been going insane!

_Kagome_, he thought. _That's what I've heard her called._

The few youkai he had overheard telling tall-tales of this woman—of her unbelievable beauty, despite being fully human, of her power, of her cleverness and unimaginable senses—had said that she was cold, that she didn't waste time mincing words with any youkai, that she never missed a target.

He had to admit, she was beautiful, especially for a human. Though youkai females who held a human-like form were known for being dazzling creatures—a defense mechanism—he had to say that he had never met one as lovely as the priestess. Of course, most youkai females didn't waste their time with lowly half-breeds, so he didn't know many.

But the youkai had also been right about her power; her arrow hadn't touched him, yet he'd still felt a burn from the aura alone. And how she'd known he was there when he snuck up on youkai the same way, he might never know. Perhaps this priestess wasn't as human as everyone thought….

"You there!" a human man bellowed from below, dragging him from the inner recesses of his mind, something no one else had ever done before. "Are you friend or foe of our village?"

InuYasha raised a dark eyebrow at him. He was a bandit. That much InuYasha was certain of, from the stench of him. Did he mean to act like he was from Kagome's village? It lay just beyond the trees, easy enough to see with the torches in each of the huts.

"Depends on who's askin'," he replied calmly, shifting to throw his feet over one side of the branch.

The bandit's scent—and that of the men following him—held a little nervousness as well as greed as he cleared his throat. "We come…we come from the jewel's home village. Our headman has sent us to retrieve it from the priestess guarding it. Do you know where she is?"

Of course he did; her scent was completely different from anything else he had ever known. But he wouldn't be telling them that. "She's s'posed to destroy it, ain't she?" he answered suspiciously, knowing how to push a human's buttons. If they were drawn out in their lie, they gave more away. "Why does your headman want it back?"

The man paused, looking to the others for help.

They would think he was human; there was no sign of his ears, claws, or fangs from the ground. Therefore, they would believe he would be easy enough to kill. They would fight him, of that he had no doubts.

He smirked. He loved fights.

Suddenly, they all drew their swords, prepared to fight.

"If you do not believe that we were sent here peacefully after our letter"—their lies smelled worse than their usual odor—"then you are not of this village. Die!" They flew at him, slashing at his legs as he flung himself back to land on the ground, facing them but on the opposite side of the tree. "Youkai!" they shouted, fury in their eyes.

"Not yet."

They rushed him and the fight began.

x…x…x

_The next day_

Kagome once again sensed him. He was approaching her with astonishing speed, easily sidestepping the trees in his way. She clutched the jewel in her hand, making sure every corner of it was purified. Any darkness within it would be a weakness; it had to be pure when she fought.

Putting it around her neck, she readied her bow and arrow, aiming for where he was crashing through the forest. He would appear in a moment….

Immediately, he burst out of the trees, and she shot, catching the sleeve of his haori. Her arrow stuck in the tree behind him, pinning him there for a moment. It was long enough for her to shoot another through his other sleeve, holding him to the tree. "I see you didn't heed my warning," she said calmly, aiming another arrow at him. "That's too bad."

He tensed when she released the bowstring, clenching his eyes shut when it seemed that she had aimed for his face.

The arrow stuck in the tree beside his head, slicing a couple strands of hair just to the left of his face. He turned his head to look at it, disbelief on his face. He turned to once again look at her, narrowing his eyes menacingly. "What the hell? Why won't you just kill me?!" he demanded, thrashing wildly against the bonds holding him to the tree.

"You seem smart enough," she retorted, "to understand the blessing you have just been given. If you stop trying to take the jewel from me, I will not kill you." Her eyes flashed dangerously as she went on. "But if you don't, the next time we meet, I won't be so kind." She turned sharply on her heel, determined to leave him hanging there until her power wore off from the arrows enough for him to get out. It could take hours for that to happen; in that time, she wouldn't be bothered by him, at least.

A thud behind her had her spinning around to stare at him. He was straightening from the ground, glaring at her darkly, a snarl on his lips. She gasped when he was suddenly next to her, growling in her face.

"What the fuck did you think you were going to do? Leave me there? Fuck that, little priestess." He took another step towards her until they were toe to toe. She gaped up at him as he continued on. "Give me the fucking jewel, wench, and I won't slice that pretty little head off your shoulders!"

She was snapped into action, reaching for her bow swiftly, but he caught her wrist, holding her easily. "Let go of me, hanyou," she hissed, her other hand grabbing his wrist, trying to pull it away from her own.

He didn't.

Forcing all her concentration into _not_ putting her full power into it, she gave him a shock with her powers, making him yelp and leap away, letting go of her. She immediately grabbed her bow and readied an arrow, prepared to shoot if he so much as breathed wrong.

"Bitch," he growled furiously.

"That isn't my name, hanyou."

"And that isn't mine!" he snapped in return, hands clenching into fists at his sides. But, though he tried to hide it, she could see the hurt in his eyes.

Regretting calling him that—though she didn't understand why—she lowered her bow, saying quietly, "I'm sorry. If you tell me your name, then I won't call you that ever again. That much I promise you."

He seemed taken aback for a moment, then suspicious. "InuYasha," he answered lowly, his tone giving away his distrustful thoughts.

Turning away from him, she said, "Then, if we ever meet again, InuYasha, I hope you realize I will have to kill you." She walked away and he didn't follow.

x…x…x

_Several days later_

Kagome knew he watched her. She had been feeling those eyes on her for nearly three days. Even when she was in the village, she felt them everywhere she went. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, trying to find where he could be. But whenever she saw even a flash of red, it would be gone within a blink of an eye. _Why is he watching me?_

"Kagome, is something wrong?" her mother asked, worried over the absent way Kagome was playing with the material of her hakama, something she never did. "You're acting very strange," she added, bringing her hand up to feel her forehead for a fever.

"It's nothing, Mother," she replied, twisting her face away before her mother could touch her. "I'm just a little tired, I suppose."

She'd barely gotten any sleep the last few nights, tossing and turning as she thought of the weakness she had shown. And what little she had managed to steal had been filled with dreams of a hanyou dressed all in red with shining white hair….

Forcing her thoughts on the jewel instead, she berated herself for even thinking of the hanyou. Why did he seem to be haunting her? Why was he constantly in her mind? But most importantly: Why was he _watching_ her?

"Actually, Mother," she began, looking off to the forest once more. "I think I might go for a walk to clear my head."

Not waiting for her mother's acquiescence, she started on her way to the hut where they kept the sacred jewel. She was not to leave the village without it. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Her mother started to say something; she could hear her sucking in a breath to do so. But then she must have decided against it, closing her mouth with an audible click of her teeth. She knew her daughter was able to protect herself; she had no reason to worry about her.

But her maternal instincts were telling her that something was going very, very wrong in her daughter's world.

x…x…x

InuYasha saw her coming towards him and grinned devilishly. She hadn't brought her bow and arrows along; she must not know that he was around.

His arrogance slowly faded as a sudden surge of unwanted protectiveness swept through him. Was she insane? There were youkai _everywhere_ in the forest, just waiting for their opportunity to take the Shikon no Tama. If she was so _clever_, why was she walking into such a dangerous situation?

As if on cue, a large boar demon went flying out of the trees beside her, ready to tear her apart with his tusks to get the jewel from her. The smell of violence was swirling around him.

InuYasha leapt towards her, knowing he was too far away to do anything about the charging pig. Waves of fear and fury crashed into him, making him almost roar as he sped towards the boar, ready to rip him apart for even _thinking_ about harming the priestess.

Just as the boar would have slammed into her, a bright purple light flashed, making him skid to a stop to cover his eyes from the power of it. A painful screech rent the air as the smell of burning flesh grew. But as quickly as the light had come, it vanished, and with it, any signs of the youkai that had been threatening the tiny human woman. The odor was gone, replaced with only her intoxicating aroma and spiritual power. When she continued on as if nothing had happened, he couldn't help but watch in silent appreciation.

Straightening, he followed her quietly through the forest—sure to kill any youkai that got too close to her before she could even sense them—until she entered a lighted clearing housing a small hill. He stayed in the shadows as she moved to the top of the hill, sitting down slowly. She looked up to the sky, seeming exhausted. She gave a small moan before bringing her knees to her chest, resting her cheek against one to show him the back of her head. Did she know he was there?

"I know you've been following me," she said clearly, answering his unsaid question. "And watching me."

He gave a small sigh—_how the hell does she even know I'm here?_—and left the darkness of the trees to stand at the base of the hill, only a little ways away from her. He said nothing.

"What I don't know is why. Why have you been following me and watching me, InuYasha?"

He didn't know how to answer that question. If he was being perfectly honest, he'd say he didn't know. Something seemed to be compelling him to stay near her, to watch after her. He tried to convince himself it was because he needed the jewel; if he was to become a full-demon, he would have to wish on the damned thing. But he found that over the last few days he had been thinking less and less of the jewel and more about the woman guarding it. Something wasn't right about the whole thing. He didn't know her; why did he care?

"Answer me," she demanded. A tremor came to her voice, as if she were about to cry. But she shed no tears; he would have been able to smell them. But it still tore at him like a knife. Her head flew up to glare at him. "Why do you do this to me?!"

He growled at the accusation. "_I'm_ only after the jewel! Why do _you_ keep looking for me?" He didn't know why he was furious with her so suddenly. She hadn't done anything except ask why he was following her. It was a logical request. But that she was angry at him for watching over her…what an ungrateful little human!

"_I'm_ protecting the jewel from youkai like you! The ones who are after it for selfish gain, who only want it to become stronger!" She stood, shaking on her feet as she pointed a finger at him. "But, unlike the others, _you_ don't seem to understand how easily I could—I _will_ kill you! I won't let you take the Shikon no Tama!" She instinctively reached for her bow and arrows, only to remember that she had not brought them with her. She let out a shriek of sheer rage before dropping back to the ground, covering her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with suppressed tears.

He froze. She was…crying? Why would she be _crying_?! Gods, he couldn't stand it when females cried; he didn't know what to do whenever they did! He could take anything else but…not tears. "Wha…what the hell are you crying for, bitch?" he demanded, unconsciously moving towards her until he crouched in front of her, forcing her face up by gripping her chin between his fingers.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, her hands coming out.

He flinched, waiting for her to do to him what she had so easily done to the boar youkai. Instead, her fingers wrapped in his haori, bringing her face to his chest. His breath caught in his throat as her silent sobs dampened his haori, though she tried to stop it. He sat there, dumbly as she cried for what seemed like hours.

What was he supposed to do? He'd seen human males rubbing their females' backs when they cried and that seemed to calm them down. Was he supposed to stroke her back? Would that only make things worse? Gods, if she didn't stop crying soon….

Uncomfortably, he patted her back softly a few times, waiting for a sign that he was doing something wrong. When she gave no such sign, he rubbed her back, hoping she would stop soon as he tried to force back his embarrassment.

The discomfort only grew when he realized what he was doing. Why was he comforting this human? He had never done so before, not since his mother. No other woman had made him feel the need to. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

She gave one last sniffle before raising her head from his chest, her blue eyes meeting his own, searching for something. "Why?" she finally asked.

Why what? Why comfort her? Why allow her to use him as some sort of hanyou-pillow? Why follow her? Why watch her?

"I don't know."

That was the only answer that seemed to fit every question.

x…x…x

Over the next few weeks, Kagome and InuYasha met almost daily, though they rarely spoke. Whenever Kagome went to the Goshinboku, he would be there, sitting on the branch above her. They would both sit in silence, merely enjoying the company each provided. The times that they had spoken, they had talked of things such as the stars and her family. Never about him, but she didn't want to think about what he had done in his life to protect himself. None of their conversations ever involved the jewel, though they both knew that his eyes would always drift to where it was wrapped around her hand.

On the night of her birthday—something only her mother and brother celebrated with her—as she sat beneath the Goshinboku with him on his usual perch, she was surprised when she caught sight of something in his clawed hands. She gasped when the package, wrapped in what seemed like the same material that made his haori and hakama, fell into her lap, looking up at him. Had she told him it was her birthday? She didn't remember ever doing so; how could he have known?

He gave her a small smile. "Open it, would ya? I ain't got all night."

Hastily, she opened it, disbelieving what she saw. It was a beautiful pink kimono with a soft floral print. Rubbing it gently between her fingers, she couldn't believe how soft it was! It was as if someone had woven it from the clouds themselves. When she pulled it out more, she realized it was very old; she recognized the long, flowing design as that of royalty from paintings of hundreds of years ago.

"InuYasha," she breathed. "This is beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"It was my mother's."

Her eyes jerked up to him at that. His…mother's? She could remember when he had accidentally brought up his mother once before, the sadness that had permeated off of him. She'd asked him how he always knew where to find her, even when she knew he hadn't been watching her.

"_I used to have to find my mother that way whenever we had to separate."_

The revered way he'd spoken had told Kagome more than anything anyone else had ever said to her. The loss of his mother had obviously hit him hard. But he hadn't wanted to talk about it, and she didn't force the issue.

She gave him a dazzling smile from below, glowing. "I'll treasure it always, InuYasha. This is the best gift I've ever had." She gingerly rewrapped the gift, making sure that the kimono was perfectly refolded, that nothing could ruin it.

They sat in silence for several minutes before he cleared his throat in discomfort.

"One day, will you wear it for me?"

His voice was so soft, she nearly didn't hear it. If the breeze had fluttered the leaves, if a wolf had howled off in the distance, she wouldn't have.

_Will I wear it for him?_ Her heart sped up and leapt into her throat. _He…he wants me to wear it _for_ him?_ She smiled up at him. "I promise that I will, InuYasha."

x…x…x

Tell me what you think! I'm going to make this a mini-series, since this part is completely revised.  
And, yes, I realize InuYasha and Kagome are OOC.  
_**Nix**_


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own InuYasha and Co. I am making no money off the use of Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

**Summary:** What if it had been Kagom_e_ in Kikyo's place? If InuYasha met Kagome instead of the other priestess all those years before the story began? Would they make the same mistakes, or would our beloved hanyou have gotten his happily-ever-after?

**A/N:** I do not speak Japanese, so I'm sorry if I mess up any of the terms. If you know I used a word wrong, would you please let me know? Thank you.

**Warning:** This chapter gets pretty dramatic. I've made the villagers pretty suspicious and easily swayed, but I like it.

x…x…x

**History Unrepeated**

**  
**Part 2

x…x…x

From that night on, InuYasha was rarely away from her side. He would watch her from the edge of the forest whenever she went to her village, always keeping her in sight. He never let the other men and women, however, see him. And even if they did, it would only be for a fraction of a second before he was once more out of sight.

The villagers had begun whispering of a red and white spirit that seemed to haunt their homes. One moment, it would be there, but if you so much as blinked, it would be gone, vanishing into the night like a thief. They determined it could only be a kind spirit, since no livestock were being stolen and no one was being injured. In fact, if anything, it seemed like a guardian angel. They would often hear the cries of youkai as they either fled or died in the forest and knew it had to be the spirit.

Kagome smiled to herself as she listened to each story, nearly laughing each time one of the villagers swore they'd spoken to the spirit, learning that its name was Gishin, meaning "chivalrous spirit". She would shake her head whenever the women tried to say that they had been meeting with the spirit each night, forcing down her unwarranted jealousy.

She knew that InuYasha did not let any of the villagers know of who—_what_—he truly was, so why let it bother her?

_Because I think I might be in love with him._

The thought came unwanted through her mind, sending a shiver of fear up her spine. In love? She wasn't supposed to fall in love! She was supposed to protect the jewel! Tears filled her eyes; she was no longer strong enough to take care of the jewel. If she couldn't protect her heart from InuYasha, whom she barely spoke to, how was she to protect the jewel from those who would use it for selfish gain? How could she trust herself to control her emotions enough to not give in to InuYasha's desires for the jewel?

She took several deep breaths. _I have to calm down. It means nothing. As long as I don't act upon my feelings, I'm fine. The jewel will still be safe until I can destroy it._

But what if it wasn't?

Lost in her thoughts as she was, she was shocked when she heard the cries of the villagers as they ran past her, screaming for Gishin to save them. She jumped to her feet, reaching for her bow and arrows, readying them.

"Where is the priestess who guards the Shikon no Tama?" a man shouted from atop a horse, slowing the beast to be better heard. More bandits appeared behind him, snickering at the fleeing people. They held torches in their grimy hands, holding them above their heads as if to light their path. But the sun had not yet completely disappeared below the horizon….

She gasped; they meant to burn down the village.

Without another thought, she shot arrows in rapid succession at the men, but in her haste she hit only one, and that was only in the arm. As he fell from his horse, groaning in pain, the others turned on her, glaring.

The leader smirked, slowly inching his horse forward. "Ah, I'd heard that you were a beautiful woman. But the stories gave you no justice." He laughed when she pulled out another arrow. "Come now; you don't want to do that, do you?" If she hadn't been shaking so badly, she would have shot him in the face. It merely skimmed his shoulder, however, but that seemed to be enough to infuriate him. "Wench, you forget your place!" He leapt off the horse and grabbed her arms, holding them above her head with one hand wrapped around her wrists. "You're nothing but a woman! You think you can harm _me_?"

She did not turn her glare away. Instead, she spat in his face, hissing, "You're nothing but a bandit. I'm not afraid of you."

Wiping the spit from his face, he gave her a dark grin. "I can't wait to teach you a lesson. You'll beg for death before I'm done with you." He raised his head from her, shouting, "Burn it to the ground! We'll take the jewel _and_ the priestess as trophies!" He turned back to her with a maniacal smirk. "We'll see how _pure_ you are after we finish with you."

He dragged her with him to his horse, ignoring her struggles as she fought to find a way to fight him. Her purification powers would do nothing to him; he wasn't a demon. And she had no sword, no dagger to attack him with.

_Where's InuYasha?_

When she looked up, preparing to scream for him, her eyes unerringly went to her family's home. She screamed as she saw the flames rising from it, the men chortling at the pain they caused the village.

_No, they can't do this! The kimono is in there!_

Thought left her then as pain ripped through her heart, her struggles growing in strength. She couldn't lose the kimono; InuYasha had given it to her. It had been his _mother's_. _He'd_ _trusted her with it!_

Somehow, she found the power to rip free of the man's hold, thrusting herself away from him furiously even as he grappled for a hold on her. Racing towards the burning hut, her focus remained only on getting to the kimono before any damage could be done to it, barely hearing the sound of him and his men chasing after her. With her complete concentration on her goal, she didn't hear the roar of her name or the sound of the villagers shouting, "Gishin!"

She burst into the flaming hut, searching frantically for the kimono, forgetting in her panic where she had hidden it away.

"You stupid woman!" someone shouted behind her just before she was lifted into the air, crashing through the roof as it collapsed around her. She was screaming and thrashing when InuYasha's voice finally brought her to her senses. "Are you crazy?! That place was _burning_ and _falling down_! You could have been burned alive, crushed!"

Tears welled in her eyes when he landed; her vision was filled with the flames that had destroyed the one thing InuYasha had trusted her with. A sob followed the tears as she was set on the ground, closing her eyes when he crouched in front of her to watch her face. "Please go away," she murmured, her chin dropping so he couldn't see her crying.

"Kagome, why the hell would you go into a fire? You could have died! Don't tell me that you're actually _that_ stupid!" he snarled, grabbing her chin to bring it back up so he could glare at her.

She shook her head out of his grip just in time to hear the bandits surrounding them. Her eyes flew open, shifting from one man to another. Each of them had a dark smile on their face, making her cringe. She could practically hear their thoughts.

"Ah, so the priestess spends time with half-breeds," the leader snickered. "Seems she's not as perfect as everyone thought." He moved closer, his horse uneasy as it got closer to InuYasha.

The hanyou rose to his feet, muttering threateningly, "Get any closer to her and I'll rip your arms out of their damned sockets!" His voice rose at the end, warning them with a furious click of his teeth. He watched alertly as most of the men backed away, content with keeping their limbs attached to their bodies.

But the leader didn't seem to have the same sentiments. "I'm not afraid of a _half-breed_. I've dealt with abominations of your kind before; you are no different!" He slid from his horse, bringing his katana up to InuYasha's neck, who stood utterly still and silent. "Why do you care what we plan with the priestess, anyways? Surely you don't fancy yourself in _love_ with a human woman?"

InuYasha tensed before smiling derisively. "What will you care when I kill you?"

The bandit chuckled. "What makes you think you could kill me?" He suddenly lunged forward, swinging his sword at where InuYasha had been standing.

But in the time that it had taken him to move, InuYasha had already jumped, twisting in the air above the other man. Grabbing the man's sword arm, the hanyou twisted it behind his back, forcing him to drop the katana. With a yelp of distress, the bandit tried to fight the much stronger half-demon to no avail.

"I'll give you _one_ chance to get the fuck out of here before I kill you. If I get so much as a whiff of your band near here again, I won't waste time warning you." Shoving the man to his knees, he released his arm. "Go!"

The men scrambled, running off without any hesitation.

InuYasha turned to Kagome then, who sat shocked were he had set her down. He crouched in front of her again. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. Are you okay?" His voice was hard as the words left his mouth. He was practically vibrating with hardly suppressed fury, his eyes dangerously narrowed. "What did they do to you?"

"I…I'm fine, InuYasha," she croaked, her voice surprisingly weak. "They didn't do anything." She gave a small sniffle before adding in a whisper, "They burned…they burned down my home. And…your mother's kimono was there." Looking up into his eyes, she could barely keep her sobs from escaping. "I'm so sorry, InuYasha. I lost your mother's kimono."

"Forget the damned kimono!" he roared, grabbing her arms to give her a small shake. "You could have been _killed_, Kagome! Or worse! Why the fuck would you go into a fire?!" The villagers returned slowly, keeping their distance from the pair but watching them intently.

A collective gasp collected over the people surrounding them as they realized that their "chivalrous spirit" was no spirit, but a hanyou, one that was obviously close with their priestess. They whispered to each other behind their hands, glaring at the half-breed. Who did he think he was, touching a priestess? How dare he shake her! They anticipated Kagome's wrath; she had never allowed any male—excluding her brother and late father—to touch her, even in the briefest contact.

When she wrapped her arms around the hanyou's neck and hugged him close, shaking with her cries, everyone was taken aback. The feeling was almost immediately replaced with anger. She was supposed to be a miko yet she was defiling herself by keeping company with a hanyou!

Many began having suspicions of Kagome's own blood. It would explain plenty of her powers, such as her unbelievably accurate senses. Her beauty would also be understandable then, the draw everyone seemed to have to her. It was a plausible thing, seeing as she was cavorting with a half-breed.

Could she be the reason for all the calamity falling on their lands? Were the gods punishing them for putting such faith into a false prophet?

From that day on, the villagers didn't trust Kagome. And, though she was the only reason the jewel stayed pure, they began planning how to purify her, to defeat her. The jewel couldn't be in the hands of a youkai.

x…x…x

_A week later_

Kagome couldn't take it any longer. She'd been unable to leave the village—her mother's decision—because of the villagers hostility over her relationship with InuYasha. But what changed him from being the "chivalrous spirit" they'd believed him to be mere days before the bandits had come? The fact that he was a hanyou? It didn't make sense!

The women who had been telling stories of love trysts with Gishin were now saying that they had been put under a spell, that they hadn't known what they were doing. He was evil, they said. He couldn't be trusted near their people.

Even though he had saved them—and her—from the bandits, they said that he wasn't good enough for their trust. He could have easily let them all die, but he hadn't. Instead, he'd rescued them. And now they would show him respect by spreading false stories of him?

Stepping out of her rebuilt—but much smaller—home, Kagome ignored her mother's questioning look, picking up her bow and arrows, swiftly sliding the necklace holding the Shikon no Tama over her neck. When the villagers glared at her, expecting that she would retreat into her hut, she held her head high, giving them cold looks that would freeze even the strongest demon in its tracks. She moved confidently towards the edge of the village, keeping her courage close to her chest. Her heart was beating frantically. Would the villagers dare do anything to her mother and brother in her absence? Would they follow the young priestess into the forest and kill her?

She'd heard many whispering among themselves, talking of her deceased father turning in his grave at the knowledge that he'd been unknowingly cuckolded by a demon. The story wasn't true; Kagome was truly human, there was no youkai in her blood. And her mother had adored her father; even now, nearly ten years after his death, she wouldn't as much as look twice at another man.

But the villagers planned to "purify" Kagome.

That made her smile; how could you purify a priestess?

"Priestess!" one man shouted sternly, as if he could stop her from leaving. "Get back 'ere!"

Surely he didn't actually believe that she would follow such a silly command! She continued on, ignoring the intensifying hatred she felt directed towards her. She didn't care what they thought; who she was with was her business, not theirs. If they wanted to stop her…well, they'd just have to kill her.

She heard the telltale sound of a bowstring tightening. "I said, get back 'ere!"

Turning slowly, she saw Sakura's husband—an ogre of a man with a pinched face and no sense of decency—aiming the arrow at her heart. "You would kill the woman who helped bring your first healthy son into this world?" she asked quietly, keeping her emotions in check.

"Yer a demon!" he spat in return.

"You didn't think so before; why the sudden change of mind?"

Everyone grew silent then, not knowing how to answer her question. They looked to each other blankly, searching for a response that would be reasonable.

"Ye weren't minglin' with 'alf-breeds then, Priestess," the man growled, pulling back on the arrow. "If I woulda known that earlier, I wouldn't 'ave let you touch my son."

She rolled her eyes. "You all are pathetic. You would turn on someone who's lived here all their life and done nothing to warrant such treatment because she knows a half-demon? I don't see how that changes anything about me."

"Ye waste yer time with filth!"

The crowd seemed to close around her as they voiced their agreement. They crowded around her, forcing her closer to the oaf.

Panic started to fill her. They would kill her, that much she knew. She had seen them kill their friends for even so much as a hint of conversing with youkai. The scandal alone could kill a person. The isolation was debilitating. But would they do such a thing to the person who had been protecting them for seven long years? Would they turn on their priestess?

The arrow that skimmed her arm was as good an answer as any.

With a cry of pain, Kagome dropped her own bow, bringing her hand swiftly to the wound. It wasn't deep, but it hurt. Even if she only moved her fingers, fire would race across her senses, nearly blinding her. Blood began seeping from between her fingers, making her sick. Other people's blood she could handle; she'd seen too many women in the middle of childbirth to do differently. But she had rarely seen her own; the worst wound she'd ever received was a scratch down her back, which had only bled for a few minutes.

Staring up at the men and women coming closer to her, her eyes caught the man's, the one who had shot her, and held. He looked so clumsy and he'd never before been any good at shooting an arrow. How had he even managed to get it to slice through skin?

"Priestess, yer not welcome 'ere," he growled, moving closer as he aimed another arrow at her.

"Kagome! Kagome!" her mother screamed hysterically.

She turned her head to watch as several villagers held her thrashing mother back. The men were trying to gentle with the woman; it wasn't her fault if a demon had snuck into her bed and forced her to birth its child. But they could blame Kagome. They could _kill_ Kagome.

Pushing herself to her feet, she hissed as the movement caused a new wave of pain through her body. She shoved the feeling aside; she would bandage it in a moment, after she got away from the villagers who refused to believe that she was anything other than a demon. She wouldn't have to worry about her family; the villagers had already proven that they didn't blame them for what she supposedly was.

"Get back on the ground like the filth ye are!" the man shouted, swinging one of his big hands towards her face.

She flinched, starting to duck away, when the man gave a startled cry and quickly slid away from her.

"Don't ever even _think_ about fucking hitting her!"

InuYasha's voice was a welcome shock to her system, her eyes opening immediately to find the red-clad hanyou standing behind Sakura's husband, holding him easily by the neck of his kimono. She stared at him; his face was contorted with ferocious anger. To the villagers, he no doubt looked like a monster, but to her, he was an avenging angel, one she was in dire need of.

He threw the man easily across the circle made by villagers, one side of his lip raised to show an impressive amount of fang to the furious onlookers. "Any of you wanna try touching her again?" he growled, leaping to use himself as a block for her. His ears were plastered to his thick hair giving him an even more animalistic look. "'Cause if you do, you'd better get through me first!"

Most of the villagers backed farther away, but their warriors stayed close, ready to pounce on them both given a moment's chance.

"Kagome, are you all right?" InuYasha asked quietly, keeping his amber eyes on the men.

Twisting to watch the men who stood behind them, she nodded. "I'm fine. I just need to bandage my arm. It's no big deal."

A snarl left the white-haired hanyou. "Damnit. What the fuck did you do to piss them off, Kagome?" he demanded, the circle tightening around them. "Threaten their livestock or somethin'?"

"Actually, I started spending time with a hanyou who chose to save me a few days ago," she replied monotonously. Keeping pressure on her arm despite the burning pain was hard, but she knew better than to just let it continue bleeding freely. If she lost too much blood, she'd black out, and that wouldn't be good for her. "So maybe you should just leave. You know, stop stirring the pot."

He gave a rude barking laugh. "I don't think so. The second I leave, they'll probably come after you like scavengers." Turning his head to look down over his shoulder at her, he said, "How about instead of just me leaving, I get you outta here so you can take care of your arm. I can feel you trembling, ya know."

Shocked, she looked down at her legs which were indeed quivering. She hadn't noticed before how heavy her body was until now. And the darkness invading the edges of her vision was starting to bother her. It stopped her from seeing fully what was going on.

"Ready?" InuYasha muttered suddenly, his arm going around her waist protectively.

She couldn't even manage a nod; instead, she gave a small noise that he must have taken correctly because the next second they were airborne, sailing over the villagers. Frightened by her abrupt weightlessness, she cringed into InuYasha's haori, feeling the wind whipping her hair.

"You okay, Kagome?" he asked over the rush of air in her ears. She could feel his worry when his arm tightened, cradling her closer to his chest.

All the blood seemed to be centered in her arm, each beat of her heart forcing more pain into the nerve endings. As he landed gracefully on a tree limb, she cried out, clutching her arm. Gods, it was painful! Something wasn't right; she knew the arrow hadn't gone through enough muscle to cause this much blood to flow from the wound. In fact, it should have been flimsily scabbed over by now; the tip had barely even touched her!

"Kagome?" InuYasha said, worriedly. He moved them to the forest floor, stripping off his haori to lay it on the ground. Placing her on it, he allowed her to sit up. She could only manage that, however, with one of his hands at her back. "What the hell is going on?! You shouldn't be losing this much blood!" He pulled up her sleeve impatiently, carefully avoiding where she'd been cut.

As the material passed over Kagome's skin, he saw a purple tint coming to her flesh. Not bruise purple, but bright purple as if the skin were rotting. Sucking in a breath, he caught the very faint scent of poison. The man who had shot Kagome hadn't cared whether he the shot he'd made with the arrow killed her or not; the arrowhead was coated in a poison strong enough to knock out any full-grown youkai. Where a non-demon slaying mortal had gotten it, he hadn't a clue.

Rage rose within InuYasha as he stared down at the flesh. The poison wasn't allowing the blood to clot like it should; the wound wouldn't scab for days at this rate!

"Kagome! Kagome, stay awake for me, okay? I have to go find someone; can you keep yourself safe until I can get him back here?" At her shaky nod, he knew she wouldn't be able to stay even remotely conscious for more than a few minutes. Damnit, the flea better be close by or the next time he saw him, he'd kill him!

He gingerly laid her down, ripping off a part of her sleeve to tie above the wound. _That should stop some of the blood flow, at least._ Standing, he tensed to leap into the trees when he heard her give a soft moan. Immediately he turned back to her. "What's wrong, Kagome? What happened?"

"Just in case I can't stay awake…thank you, InuYasha. For everything."

His heart broke at the tired smile she gave him as her eyelids began drooping. She gave a short yawn before completely relaxing on his haori.

Fear ate at him, but he could still smell that she was alive. The poison was being slowed down by something, but it couldn't last forever. He'd have to find Myouga quickly before anything more could happen to Kagome.

x…x…x

Kagome watched as InuYasha ran into the forest, leaving her alone in silence as sleep threatened to overtake her. What had he said? Was she supposed to go to sleep or stay awake? Surely he'd said that she could sleep; he had to know how tired she was. Besides, what would it hurt if she rested for a little while? She'd wake up before he got back, though, just in case. The moment she heard his return, she would be awake, of that much she was sure. She'd never been a heavy sleeper before. And if he expected her to stay conscious, then she could pretend she had been to pacify him.

Reality faded into dreams, making her smile to herself. Gods, but she loved her dream world, the one where she had no duties to fulfill, no one that expected anything of her but to be herself.

And it was the one place she could be with InuYasha without worry.

This time she dreamt of the usual. She had a life with InuYasha, one without thoughts towards persecution or prejudice. There was no one but them in the world and she was allowed to be with him whenever she wanted. The jewel was gone, or maybe it had never existed. She didn't know which, nor did she care.

The sky was blue overhead, the grass and trees a brilliant green, as if celebrating Kagome's freedom with her. She ran in odd clothes; she could feel the breeze on her bare legs, but knew she was covered where it mattered. Her sleeves were long, but closed around her wrists instead of being left open and long. She was wearing…green? But mikos didn't wear green. Then again, maybe she wasn't a miko any longer. Maybe she was just a girl now who ran with her lover.

"Kagome, get back here!" InuYasha ordered playfully, chasing after her as if they were playing a game. He would get within inches of catching her before she dodged, knowing all of his tricks at this point. He thought she didn't remember his tag tricks—tag? How did she know what that was? She'd never heard of it before, but somehow she knew it fit.

Suddenly, his arms locked around her waist, bringing a gasp out of her throat just before laughter bubbled out. She squirmed against him, wanting to continue their little game.

"I win," he murmured in her ear, the smile on his face bleeding into his voice. "Which means _you_ lost." His arrogance was unbelievable. It wasn't over until the fat lady sang—fat lady?—and she wouldn't let that woman open her mouth until Kagome knew for sure that she was the victor.

"Fine, fine, let me go," she answered, wriggling harder. "For real, just let go, InuYasha."

He allowed her to leave the circle of his arms, albeit reluctantly. He watched her suspiciously as if expecting her to grow a pair of fangs and bite him. She smiled sweetly up at him, soothing his fears while stroking his cheek with her open palm. Gods, but she loved him. He meant so much to her, as Houjo—who was Houjo?—had learned over the past years. She would have happily died for this man, if he'd have ever allowed anything remotely lethal in her vicinity.

"InuYasha," she purred. She took a step back; she didn't want to be in the way when this tree fell. "Sit, boy!" With a giggle, she watched as he slammed to the ground, waiting for the dust to settle before she added, "Who won what, now?"

With a muffled curse, his hand shot out, pulling her to the ground with a surprised yelp.

Pain suddenly shot through her arm. What? What was happening? Nothing was supposed to mar her perfect world; what had hurt her? Screaming, she suddenly found InuYasha leaning over her, his eyes and voice frantic.

"Kagome?! Kagome, can you hear me?! Answer me, damn you!" he shouted, hands on her shoulders. He began lightly shaking her, and she could feel the fear radiating off of him. What could he be so worried about? The pain was going away…but so was the dream. Why was her dream fading away? What could possibly be taking her dreams from her?!

"Master InuYasha, you must stay calm! If you shake her too much, I won't be able to suck the poison from her without taking too much blood!" Whose voice could that be? It sounded older, wiser than InuYasha's. But no one was supposed to be here with her and the hanyou.

"I-InuYasha?" she murmured, surprised by how weak her voice suddenly was. Where was the dream going? The picture of the blue sky was slowly fading to black, the green of the vegetation around them already entirely gone. _No!_ She tried to scream, to somehow force the dream back to her, but pain was pulsing through her once more and her body gave a violent shake, arching.

"Damnit, Myouga, wake her up! Something's wrong!"

Her world began to fade, InuYasha's voice the only thing staying clear.

x…x…x

Phew. That one was hard to write. But I got it done! And, before anyone asks, the dream was supposed to be from another fanfic I'm writing (subscribe to read when it's posted!) which will be about what happens to InuYasha and Kagome after the manga ends.  
Please review!  
_**Nix**_


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own InuYasha and Co. I am making no money off the use of Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

**Summary:** What if it had been Kagome in Kikyo's place? If InuYasha met Kagome instead of the other priestess all those years before the story began? Would they make the same mistakes, or would our beloved hanyou have gotten his happily-ever-after?

**A/N:** I do not speak Japanese, so I'm sorry if I mess up any of the terms. If you know I used a word wrong, would you please let me know? Thank you.

x…x…x

**History Unrepeated**

Part 3

x…x…x

He had found Myouga as quickly as possible, grabbing the flea from his makeshift bed and running with him. While the old youkai floundered, asking what was so urgent, InuYasha just ignored him, moving as fast as his legs would carry him. _I have to get back to Kagome before it's too late!_

When he slid to a stop beside her, he saw that she'd fallen asleep. What the hell was wrong with her?! He told her to stay awake, damnit!

Dropping to his knees beside her, he tried to gently—the last time he'd touched a fragile human that he didn't want to hurt had been when his mother had died—shake her awake. But the moment he touched her arm, she let out a pain-filled moan, trying to jerk away from him.

Instantly worried, he shook her a little harder. "Kagome! Kagome, can you hear me?! Answer me, damn you!" he shouted frantically, wishing she would just _wake_ _the fuck up_! She thrashed a little, as if trying to loosen his hold on her. Could she possibly want to just…stay like she was? They couldn't do anything for her if she was asleep, damnit!

"Master InuYasha," the old flea pleaded, "you must stay calm! If you shake her too much, I won't be able to suck the poison from her without taking too much blood!" Myouga grabbed at the hanyou's hands with his miniscule ones.

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes began to flutter open. She looked like a child as she stared up at him in confusion. "I-InuYasha?" she questioned quietly. Her eyes were glazing over; could she even see him? Her eyes widened slightly, terror reflecting in their depths. Her body arched violently, nearly coming completely off the ground before she fell back, boneless.

"Damnit, Myouga, wake her up!" InuYasha roared. "Something's wrong!"

Kagome's eyes slid closed once more, making InuYasha even more frantic than before. "Kagome, don't you dare die on me! If you die, I'll never forgive you!"

Myouga promptly began sucking the poison from her blood, taking it directly from the wound. "Master InuYasha, you must remain calm," he chided. "Her miko powers are purifying most of the poison, though some could still be left in her body. Once I rid her of it, she'll need to rest for only a few days. Then you may return her to her village safely."

InuYasha's jaw twitched. No, he couldn't take her back to her village. And within a few days, word of the "impure Shikon priestess" would travel around the region, leaving her at the mercy of those self-righteous little mortals. _I can't let that happen_, he thought. _If anything happens to her, I don't know what I'd do._

The area was silent, apart from the sound of Myouga made. InuYasha could do nothing but sit there as the tint to Kagome's flesh slowly faded back into pale white. Gods, if he'd been there, nothing would have happened. Hell, if he'd just stayed near the village the day of the bandits' attack, Kagome would still be with her family.

_If you'd just stayed away from her, everything would be fan-fucking-tastic,_ he scolded himself darkly. _If you'd just taken her fucking warning, none of this would have happened._

Standing, InuYasha leapt into the tree above the resting girl and full flea. He sat there, thinking about the past few months with Kagome. Would he give them up? If she died—despite Myouga's quiet assurances in the opposite—would he want to give it all away?

_No,_ he thought finally.

It had been the first time in nearly two hundred years that anyone had treated him with any respect. Every night when they'd just sat and enjoyed each other's presence, he'd felt connected to something, to someone. Was it wrong for him to get to feel that just one time in his long life?

Myouga, seeing that his master needed nothing else from him, took off with a short farewell, leaving his best wishes for the hanyou.

To the flea, it was obvious. In fact, it was the only reason he'd agreed to help the miko. Priestess blood, while tasty, could have nasty consequences on a youkai; if her body had thought that he was the cause of the poison getting into her system, her aura would purify him. And with her exceptional spiritual strength, it would have taken no time at all.

But it was clear that InuYasha had found his mate. The look in his eyes matched that of his father's when he'd learned Lady Izayoi was having their child. Fear, fierce determination, but most of all, love. They mingled in the hanyou's eyes.

_Master InuYasha,_ Myouga thought with a slow smile, _I hope that the next time we meet, you're mate is back in perfect health standing beside you._

x…x…x

InuYasha moved Kagome a little while later when her color was almost fully returned. He found a small, hidden cave near a small waterfall. Over the scent of the water and vegetation, he knew their scents would easily be fully covered. If he had to leave—for whatever reason—she would be safe until he got back.

Lying her on his suikan, he made her as comfortable as possible and sat against the wall near her head. Her breathing was normal once more and she moved from time to time. He sighed in relief; thank the gods he hadn't found Myouga too late.

That night, as he sat staring at her, he remembered when he'd rescued her. She'd been upset over his mother's kimono.

_How could she have thought for one second that that stupid piece of cloth meant more than her safety? Besides, if she kept it rolled in the fire-rat, then the damn thing's fine. But she'd have to go back to the village to get it back, and that isn't going to happen any time soon. Not until I get my revenge, damnit._

He moved to the mouth of the cave, turning to look back at her. She would be fine without him for a few hours, wouldn't she? He had unfinished business.

x…x…x

Kagome awoke in degrees, smelling InuYasha around her. She tried to think back to what had happened to leave her in this state. _Villagers…jewel…poison…InuYasha!_ The events of her near-death flashed through her mind quickly. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, her eyes searching the small cave for signs of the hanyou. _Wh-where is InuYasha?!_ Hand instinctively going to her neck, she felt the Shikon no Tama lying against her collar. _Thank the gods. It's safe._

Standing, she stumbled for a moment as if she hadn't walked in awhile. Shaking it off, she moved to the entrance of the cave. Looking outside, she found herself staring at a bloody InuYasha.

"Inu-InuYasha!" Her happiness at seeing him ended when she saw the blood dripping down the side of his face. "What happened?! Are you all right?!" She grabbed his arm, preparing to drag him into the cave.

He shook off her hold. "Nothing; just went to take care of something." She could see in his eyes that he was holding something back from her. But before she could comment on it, he glared at her. "You shouldn't be up, baka. Don't want you collapsin' onto the rock." He gently scooped her up and brought her back to his suikan. "I brought something back for you."

Kagome cocked her head, confused. Then he put a familiar package into her arms. Her eyes widened. "InuYasha, is this…is this the kimono?" She searched his eyes for the answer, but his bored expression didn't change. She slowly unwrapped the present again, staring at the beautiful—and perfectly in tact—cloth there. "It is!" she said in wonder. "But I _know_ it was in the fire!"

"Cloth of the fire-rat doesn't burn."

Looking up at him, she breathed, "Should I…try it on?"

A blush crept to his cheeks. "W-well…. Feh. Whatever. Do what you want." He turned away from her to give her privacy. "But be careful," he added sharply.

She changed as fast as she was able, disbelieving how soft the kimono was. Reaching for the tie of her hair, she let it fall loose around her shoulders, the waves falling down her back. She gave a soft sigh and tried to think how she must look in such an expensive kimono.

At the sound, InuYasha turned to face her and seemed to stop breathing when he looked at her. "K-Kagome," he murmured. Shaking his head, his flush brightened. "You…it looks nice," he growled, pouting like a child.

Her own face grew hot. "Arigato, InuYasha," she mumbled. Moving to sit in front of him, she reached for his face to find the source of the blood on his face.

"No!" he snarled, pushing away. "You'll get the damned kimono dirty." He wiped at the blood with his sleeve. "Besides, it's not mine. You don't have to take care of me."

Something clicked in her mind. He came back to her covered in blood with the kimono in his possession. Her heart went cold. What had he done to the villagers?! Standing a little too quickly, Kagome stumbled backwards. When he caught her to steady her, she screamed, "Don't touch me!" and flung herself away from him. Putting her hand on the cave wall, she found herself choking back tears. "What did you do to my village, InuYasha?" she asked quietly.

He just watched her, his eyes hard. He stalked towards her.

Backing away, she screamed, "Don't come near me! How could you hurt those people? They've done _nothing_ to you!"

Suddenly, she found herself face to face with a furious hanyou. He grabbed her arms, lifting her off the ground. "Why the fuck are you protecting them?! They tried to _kill_ you, goddamnit! Does that mean nothing?!" He shook her slightly. "And if they go after you again, I'll kill them! No one hurts my fucking woman and gets away with it!"

Everything stopped for a moment as they just gaped at each other. Then, without warning, he put her back on her feet, leaving her standing there, shocked, as he stared down at her harshly.

Sighing, he started to walk past her, muttering, "Of all the stupid fucking things I could do. Damnit."

She grabbed his kosode before he could completely pass her. "I-InuYasha," she stuttered, watching as he turned back to her. "Wh-what did you mean by that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Forget it, ningen," he hissed harshly. "Just forget I was ever here." He pried her hand from his sleeve. Stalking out of the cave, he didn't expect her to follow. _I just made a fucking ass of myself. I can't believe I said something so incredibly asinine. She's probably disgusted—_

"InuYasha, could you ask me?"

Shocked by her voice, he turned back to her. He blinked as she wrung her hands nervously together, shifting from one foot to the other. Was she anxious? "What the hell are you talking about?" What the hell was he supposed to ask her, anyways?

Standing there in his mother's kimono, she looked beyond beautiful. Goddesses had to be jealous of the pure magnificence standing before him. With her hair loose and wavy, her bright blue eyes shining, she looked like a fragile doll.

"Will you ask me to?"

_What the fuck? Does she think I can read fucking minds?!_ "What am I supposed to ask you?" he demanded roughly.

"To be your…your…_woman_." She said it like a small child would swear; her voice trembled and she had her mouth hidden by her hands to muffle the sound.

He realized that there was weakness in her eyes, that she looked scared. But what could she be scared of? Did she really think a hanyou like him would ever turn down someone like her? "You want me to _ask_? That'll make you happy?"

She nodded with a lot of quick bobs of her head, looking like a little girl. Her eyes were innocent, just staring up at him as he stood there like an idiot.

"I...." He didn't know what to say. Clearing his throat, he tried not to sound like an idiot. "Kagome…will you be my woman?"

Her eyes lit up immediately and he found her body crushed to his as her arms wrapped around his torso tightly, her face buried in his chest. "Thank you! Thank you, InuYasha." She smiled up at him.

Then they both felt it. The jewel that still hung around her neck was pressing into her collarbone and his ribs. They stared at each other for a little while before Kagome slowly pushed away from him. Looking up at him, she took it off from around her neck and silently offered it to him with her palm facing up. He could read the message in her eyes. _It's yours, if you want it._

"I thought you were gonna get rid of that damned thing?" he growled, pretending to not understand. He couldn't take it from her. Unless she _wanted_ him to use it—not to just hand it over to him because of some stupid belief she had in that crazy little mind of hers—he wouldn't touch the thing.

She reared back in disbelief, then gave him a shy smile. "Thank you, InuYasha," she repeated. Looking down at the jewel in her hand, she murmured, "I wish the jewel was gone."

And in a flash of light, it was.

x…x…x

The old man closed the book, replacing it on the shelf. Looking back to his audience of children, he said, "And that's the story of the Shikon no Tama priestess." Smiling, he noticed that one of the little girls was biting her lip as if trying to get her mind around the story. Her hair was long and snow-white, hanging to the middle of her back. Her eyes were bright blue and wide, staring up at him and seemed to see more than the other children. "Hello," he said quietly, hoping not to scare her. "Are you interested in hearing more of the Shikon no Tama?"

She just continued to watch him, the workings of her mind showing on her face. "Don't tell Mama," she said loudly.

Confused, he cocked his head to one side. "What? What shouldn't I tell your mother?"

She shook her head. "The book lied. Mama told me the story before."

He pursed his lips. "This is what history says is true." He sat up straight. "And, I'm sorry to say, I trust years upon years of accounts over your mother, dear."

She shook her head and laughed. "But Mama didn't wish for the jewel to just be gone. She wanted to be like Daddy."

"What?"

"Mama's name is Kagome and Daddy's name is InuYasha."

"Well, the story is very well-known; it's merely a coincidence that their names match the people in the stories. What makes you think your parents could live for hundreds of years?"

He was getting annoyed with this child. How dare she call him a liar! There were years of records on this very matter; what could her mother possibly know?

"Because, Mister," she said, two dog ears popping out of her hair. "Because we're hanyous, Mister."

x…x…x

Sorry, the end was a whim that caught my fancy. :)  
I hope you all like the end of History Unrepeated after such a long wait. I kinda hurried it along, so I'm sorry for how short it is.  
Review?  
**Niixx**


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